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Rollercoaster ride for Ontario First Nation team

Article Origin

Author

Sam Laskaris, Sweetgrass Contributor, Edmonton

Volume

12

Issue

11

Year

2005

Page 8

Members of the Six Nations Arrows Express thought they had won a national title-twice. But in the end, the Ontario-based Junior A lacrosse team had to officially settle for being second best in the country this year.

The club participated in the four-team Minto Cup, the national Junior A championship that ran from Aug. 25 to Sept. 3 in Edmonton.

After posting a perfect 3-0 round-robin record, the Arrows Express earned a berth in the best-of-three final where they met the British Columbia-based Burnaby Lakers.

Six Nations won the opening game 11 to 9. But the Lakers won the next with a score of 13-12 in overtime, though members of the Six Nations' squad thought they had wrapped up the series.

With the score deadlocked at 11-11 in Game 2, Six Nations' Isiah Kiscknosway scored what appeared to be the winning goal with just five seconds remaining in regulation time.

Following a brief wild celebration by the Six Nations' players, the goal was disallowed. That's because one of the referees ruled another Six Nations player, Kent Squire, was in the Lakers' crease at the time of the goal.

With the disallowed goal, the third period ended with the score deadlocked. Overtime was required to settle the contest.

Because of a briefing prior to the tournament, Six Nations club president Lewis Staats knew overtime would consist of a full 10-minute session. But players on the floor from both teams were told by the referee that it was a sudden-death session, meaning the first team to score would win the match. Six Nations coach Randy Chrysler said he also thought the first to score in overtime would win the game.

Squire scored just 12 seconds into overtime sending the Six Nations players and their coaching staff into another frenzied celebration. But once again that elation subsided when it was discovered that overtime was not a sudden-death situation.

The Lakers ended up winning the contest by scoring twice in overtime.

Chrysler said he tried his best to motivate his charges for the third and deciding game of the final. But the Six Nations' players had difficulties getting into a groove, perhaps because they were still infuriated with what had transpired the evening before in Game 2.

The Lakers prevailed 8-6 in the deciding contest.

"They were playing because they love the game," Chrysler said. "But when you already have something and it's taken away from you, it's tough to get that intensity inside of you back."

After viewing a video of the play following Game 2, Staats believes his club should have been awarded the national title since there was not conclusive evidence that Squire was in the crease.

"It was very, very marginal," Staats said of the controversial call. "You're talking about maybe a kid stepping on the white line. But he was pushed in (by a Burnaby) player. And you can't have a goal waived off if you're pushed into the crease. We definitely felt it was not the right call."

Chrysler said he repeatedly saw the replay after the match.

"I saw it like 100 times," Chrysler said. "I just got ticked off even more every time I watched it."

Like Staats, Chrysler said Squire was pushed into the crease. And Chrysler said Squire did land in the crease but only after the ball had entered the net. He too believes the goal should have been allowed to stand.

"That was a killer," Chrysler said. "And it was totally unfair. The video clearly shows the ball is in the back of the net and then Kent puts his foot in the crease."

This marked the second straight year Six Nations had participated in the Minto Cup. The Arrows Express also took part in the 2004 tournament held in B.C.

Six Nations also posted a perfect 3-0 round-robin record at last year's tournament. But the Arrows Express failed to advance to the championship final as they were edged 10-9 in overtime by the Victoria Shamrocks in a semi-final game.

Six Nations is already guaranteed a spot in the 2006 Minto Cup. That's ecause the club will play host to the tournament. As hosts, the Arrows Express have an automatic entry into the event.